Bruce Davison biography

Native to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Davison was an art major at Penn
State University before turning his attention to theatre.

He received his
training at NYU's School of the Arts, and at the age of 21, he launched a
successful Broadway career in a production of Tiger at the Gate.
A versatile stage actor, Davison went on to perform in everything from
Shakespeare to contemporary dramas.

Having established his career on the New York stage, Davison went on to win
the LA Drama Critics Award and the Drama-Logue Award for Streamers and
The Normal Heart. He also landed roles in the Broadway productions of
The Elephant Man, King Lear and The Glass Menagerie,
as well as many parts in New York and Los Angeles stage productions.

Beginning his film career in the early '70s, Davison weaved in and out of
television appearances, series and feature film roles.

In 1972, Davison
gained national recognition for playing the title role of a nebbish,
rat-loving mama's boy in the creepy horror film Willard.

Other notable
films from the '70s include the chilling, realistic Short Eyes
(1977) in which the actor played a convicted child molester struggling
to survive in prison, Last Summer (1969) and Ulzana's Raid
(1972). Davison became a solid character actor, and like most good
character actors, his active film work since the early '70s has gone for
the most part unnoticed by the majority of viewers.

Almost 20 years later
though, he received critical recognition with an Oscar nomination for
his sensitive portrayal of a man caring for his dying, AIDS-infected
lover in Longtime Companion.

The '70s also started Davison's successful career in television.

Among his
many television credits are miniseries and television films such as Lost
and Found, Little Girl Fly Away, Color of Justice,
Poor Little Rich Girl, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
He appeared on the series Seinfeld, Touched By An Angel
(for which he received an Emmy nomination), and landed a regular gig in
Harry and the Hendersons, directing several episodes.

He also found
regular work in the series like Tales From the Crypt, Outer
Limits, thirtysomething and Hunter.

In the '90s, he made strong showings in Ghost Eyes (1983), Someone
Else's Child (1994), The Crucible (1996), in which he played a
brimstone-breathing Reverend; Grace of My Heart (1996), which
featured him as a married journalist who has an affair with the film's
protagonist, and Apt Pupil (1998). In 2000, he landed a
co-starring role in the sci-fi summer hit, X-Men, playing senator
Kelly.

Married twice, Davison is currently married to actress Lisa Pelikan with
whom he shares a son.

When not on set, Davison works actively as a
spokesperson for a myriad of AIDS-related groups and is involved with
organizations working to help at-risk children.